Walking Dead
by marianat011
Summary: After getting his revenge on Itachi, Sasuke and his team find an unlikely person in the Akatsuki hideout. Why was Naruto there? And why would he of all people betray the village?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, all. I know I should have finished my other story first, but I really have no idea where to go with it. My obsession with Twilight died in high school and I just can't get back into it. I'm sorry to those have waited for it, but I'm at a dead end. **

**So, basically this story popped into my head about a month ago and has been bothering me ever since. I've had writer's block for a good, solid year and this chapter just came to me effortlessly - done in exactly an hour (Proud). That doesn't mean it's good! I tried though. I haven't read another story with this plot so I hope to finish it if I get good feedback. Crossed fingers. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, Sasuke would've come home already.**

"You know your jobs, now go." Sasuke commanded, watching his teammates run off into the forest. Tonight, they were planning on infiltrating the Akatsuki hideout and take the notorious group by surprise. Of course, Itachi knew Sasuke would come for him someday, but not quite so soon. Not only did he want to kill his brother, but the whole damned group as well. He couldn't stand them, killing innocent people for the fun of it, to get the power of the jinchuuriki. He ignored the fact that he might have developed this sympathy due to a small, blonde kyuubi container. He didn't matter anymore. Their bond was broken.

The black haired shinobi made his way through the trees and into the lair, which was now unprotected thanks to team Taka. He entered through the main doors soundlessly and down the darkened corridor. The place almost reminded him of Orochimaru's hideout and he felt himself hesitate for a moment before going deeper into the lair. Some bodies lay bloodied on the floor, their black cloaks ripped and soiled - Juugo had done his job well. Although, he hadn't expected the red haired man to kill so fast. He had chosen his team well. Yes, the Uchiha had planned to end the Akatsuki, just not with his own hands. There was only one person who he'd dirty his hands with - his brother.

The darkness suddenly gave way to a dimly lit room. In the corner of that room, sat a man with his back turned to Sasuke, reading at the desk before him. That long, black ponytail was a tell-tale sign as to who it was. Sasuke's hands shook with anticipation.

"Brother." A low hiss erupted from his throat, cutting through the thick silence. The man turned, and Sasuke started. Was this really his brother? The one he had planned for years to kill? Itachi looked every bit the same as he did eight years ago, except his eyes had turned a sickly gray color. They flickered unseeingly in his direction.

"Sasuke. It's about time you showed up. I was getting impatient." A similar smirk to his own appeared on his brother's face.

"I've been busy."

"With training, I hope." Sasuke remained quiet, analyzing his opponent before attacking. With his blade raised, he charged forward. Itachi hadn't even bothered to move an inch. The sharp metal tip slid effortlessly through his brother's chest.

"You didn't think it would be so easy, did you?" Itachi's voice was mocking. He coughed a few times before falling to his knees, sputtering.

"Why..." Sasuke's throat was tight. He had trained hard for years and abandoned everything he had left for this?

"This was my goal all along...Sasuke, to end the Uchiha bloodline..." he coughed again, blood pouring from his mouth. Sasuke grabbed his brother's robe at the collar.

"Why? Why the hell would you do this?"

"Our family was corrupted with greed and power...you were still... too young to see that. I did this for you..in time you'll-" gray eyes began to close.

"Damn it, Itachi." Sasuke growled. The boy was visibly shaken, his dead brother still clutched in a death grip before him. His mind was racing. Sasuke had more questions than he had answers, but how would he get them? A knock shook him out of his reverie.

"Hey, boss. You about finished?" Suigetsu was leaning lazily against the doorframe, a long sword propped up beside him. He flashed a toothy grin as Itachi's body slid to the floor. _Ah, the bosses big bro, huh? Interesting. _Sasuke let his face melt into a look of indifference before leading the swordsman further into the maze of hallways, looking for his other two team members.

After several twists and turns, he located Juugo and Karin taking care of the remaining guardsmen in the basement.

"What's down here?" Sasuke weaved his way around the bodies.

"Mostly prisoners and weapons. But this door was the most guarded." Karin pointed to a small door at the end of the hall. By the looks of it, whatever was in there was certainly important.

It took a while to finally open the door, with so many traps in place, Sasuke was beginning to lose his patience. Once it opened, there was nothing but darkness. The place reeked of blood and chemicals. There was a concrete slab at the end of the room where a small figure lay on top. The group edged closer until they stood directly in front of what looked like a skeleton. Suigetsu reached over, grabbing the person by the shoulder, flipping him over to face the group.

The boy was very thin. His bones jutted out and every inch of his body was covered in bruises, cuts and tons of dried blood and dirt. Dirty hair covered his face, reaching to his shoulders and probably hadn't been washed in months. The boy seemed like nothing special, no chakra radiated from him. And each breath came out in a wheeze.

Around the room, there were various charts and medicine bottles. It seemed like they had tested various jutsus and drugs on the young boy. Sasuke grimaced, loathing the fact that his brother had a part in all of this.

"Should we bring him with us?" Karin asked.

"He seems pretty useless to me." Suigetsu shrugged.

"But if the Akatsuki felt the need to protect him, he must be special." The scarlet haired woman retorted.

"He's almost _dead_, Karin."

"Quiet." their leader demanded. At the sound of Sasuke yelling, the prisoner turned his head to see what had woke him up. Four pairs of eyes watched the boy's slow movements. Greasy hair fell away from his face, revealing half-dead cerulean eyes that stared blankly at them. Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, before composing himself. With a bored expression on his face and a racing heart pounding in his chest, he sighed. "We'll bring him with us."

**Well, there it is. I haven't actually seen a majority of Shippuden so the characters may be a bit off. I'm sorry about that. Review? Yes? Please? I'm lonely. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! I tried not to take too long with this chapter. Although, I felt the last chapter was a bit rushed, I like how it came out. Mostly. As for those who wanted more details on Itachi, I really suck at fight scenes... I can't avoid them forever, though. I'll work on it.**

**I also watched the episodes of the formation of Team Taka/Hebi. I'm more informed so hopefully they'll be in character. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer still and always will apply.**

"_We'll bring him with us." _

"Juugo." Sasuke motioned his head towards the half-dead boy, before walking calmly out of the room. Juugo quickly flung the boy over his shoulder and the rest followed suit, trailing after their leader. The walk back to the Taka hideout was quieter than usual. The group's talkative member, Suigetsu was studying the dirty blonde carefully. There was something strange about him. Maybe it was the fact he had no chakra. It wasn't possible for someone to live without it, so why was he still breathing? Or maybe it was the strange whiskers on the boy's cheeks. Had the Akatsuki experimented on people to compete with Orochimaru's powerful army of mutants? All these questions were giving Suigetsu (along with the other uninformed members) a headache.

After several hours, the team had made it back to the hideout, where the sickly boy was immediately placed in his own room and taken under Karin's care. Karin had just finished cleaning all the wounds on the boy and had healed him to the best of her ability, but the damage done was quite extensive. From her inspection, no permanent alterations had been made to the boy's body, meaning he wasn't created as a weapon, only captured to be used as a lab rat. He probably wouldn't of use to her team either, but leaving him to die seemed cruel. And it appeared Sasuke had agreed. (Something else they had in common – _swoon_.)

Later on, the rest of the team joined Karin to look over the boy. He looked a little better after being cleaned up. He was still far too thin and his skin took on a sickly yellowish color, the dirt, blood and greasy hair had been washed off.

"Wouldn't it have been better to let him die?" Suigetsu asked, after a moment of silence.

"You heartless little-" Karin was cut off.

"I believe he can be of use to us." Sasuke said, leaning against the wall next to the bed.

"He doesn't even have chakra. He'll be nothing more than the team's 'water boy' if he ever wakes up." Ignoring Suigetsu, Sasuke continued, "Karin, do you think his chakra could have been suppressed?"

"Suppressed? Eh, it's possible. Though I'm not quite sure how it works. Jutsus like that are only legends."

"I want you to research it." Karin looked dumbfounded. How would she possible find information on _that_? The practice of chakra suppression was practically extinct. Sasuke looked impatient as the girl made no attempt to move.

"Hurry along, Karin. You wouldn't want to let Sasuke down, would you?" the swordsman smirked.

"Shut up." She huffed before storming out of the room, a blush adorning her normally pale face. After a few minutes, Juugo and Suigetsu eventually grew bored and left the room, leaving their leader alone with the blonde stranger.

Once the door closed, Sasuke pushed off the wall he was leaning on and took a seat on the bed next to the boy. It had been over a year since he had last seen the blonde. It had been three years since Sasuke had seen him before that. He was surprised by the change in the other boy's appearance. Naruto had grown several inches, although he was still shorter, and his round baby face gave way to the handsome, chiseled face of a young man. His bright blue eyes still hadn't lost that mischievous gleam, or his smile it's blinding radiance. Naruto was still Naruto back then. But who was Naruto now?

Dull blonde hair hung limply around his face, reaching past his nose and his sunken face looked absolutely lifeless. When he woke up, would he look just as lifeless? Or would that dorky smile grace his face once more? Sasuke wondered what he would do if the former was true. There was no doubt that the Akatsuki put him through hell, and Naruto had a strong resolve, but even the strongest people could be broken down.

He looked at all the tubes and wires hooked up to Naruto's heavily bandaged body. The only thing that assured Sasuke that his friend was still alive was the steady beeping of the heart monitor. Despite everything, the junchuuriki's heart still beat strongly in his chest. He stood up, "Oi dobe, will you ever stop getting into trouble?" Not getting the retort he hadn't realized he had been expecting, Sasuke slowly walked out of the room and shut off the lights.

Sasuke found Karin surrounded by a mountain of books. Her magenta hair was disheveled and her glasses were slightly crooked, giving her the appearance of a mad scientist, which in a way she was.

"Found anything?" The girl looked up, startled.

"Don't just walk into my room without knocking!" She scolded, though secretly she was ecstatic.

"Well?" She sighed at the lack of response.

"I found plenty on the history and theory of chakra suppression, but there's nothing that says anything about reversing it. But…with this information, I think I could figure something out."

"How soon?" Sasuke couldn't completely mask the eagerness in his voice.

"Eh…a couple weeks at least."

Sasuke nodded slowly, "I'll be counting on you." With that he left the room, leaving Karin with newfound determination.

**End. So there's the second chapter. I haven't really figured out Juugo's character yet – other than his his favorite pastimes include talking to animals, namely birds, and killing. I'd totally go clubbing with him. As for Itachi, he'll get his flashbacks later on. Anyway, please review! They help lift my spirits after I look at my math grade…sigh. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, all. I'm back again. Thank you all for the reviews. I am definitely trying to make the chapters longer now- aiming for 1,500-2,000 words now. I won't include my author's notes to the word count anymore. I think I make them so long to add to the illusion I wrote more than I actually did...ha ha. **

**Disclaimer applies. **

Naruto had been unconscious for over a week with no signs of waking up, which was making Sasuke quite anxious. Although he tried to appear apathetic to his team, they had noticed how short tempered the sixteen year old had become, snapping at any little mistake they made during training or even having the radio on too loud. Needless to say, his team members were afraid to approach him. (Not that they had enjoyed being around him much to begin with.)

Karin was sitting in her room, books and papers scattered all around the room. In the past week, she had read and reread every article she could find on suppression jutsus and had finally come up with a way to reverse its effects. Throughout the week she was hiding from Sasuke (although she was still admiring him from afar) she tested the solution out on an unwilling Suigetsu; and was pleased with the results.

"Sasuke, I believe I came up with a way to reverse the jutsu." Karin gathered up her courage to approach the Uchiha late one evening. His head snapped up from the newspaper he had been reading.

"Have you tested it out?" He asked sharply.

"Yes, it works."

"And you haven't used it on the boy yet?" He was starting to sound impatient.

"No, I-I wanted to tell you first." Her confidence was starting to falter.

"Let's go." Karin timidly followed Sasuke to the back room where Naruto was kept and proceeded to do the reversal jutsu.

"Release." She commanded after doing the last hand sign. After a moment, two strong chakras flooded the room, creating an overwhelming feeling throughout the hideout, causing everyone to freeze. A few moments passed before the chakras calmed down and returned to a normal level of chakra flow. Suigetsu and Juugo rushed into the room shortly after.

"Whoa. Dude what was that?" Suigetsu's violet eyes were wide with surprise.

"Was that him?" Juugo's eyes were almost as wide as Suigetsu's. Karin nodded numbly as Sasuke eyed the sleeping boy for any changes.

Karin was able to heal most of Naruto's external wounds and some broken and fractured bones, but the damage done to his internal organs she wasn't able to heal without the proper equipment. Even though she wasn't able to heal most of his wounds, he did look exceptionally better. Within the week had gained about five pounds, making his cheek and jaw bones less prominent and the pale yellow tinge had faded from his face. Hopefully now, with the kyuubi's and his own chakra back, he'd awaken soon.

Throughout the day, the team took turns watching the boy for any changes. As the day passed on, everyone was beginning to get restless.

"Man, is sleeping beauty ever going to wake up?" Suigetsu whined. He had taken the last shift of the day and was getting extremely bored and tired. As Sasuke walked in the room, he couldn't help but notice the pudding cups that littered the bedside table and side of the bed.

"You're shift is over." Suigetsu stood up and stretched, walking towards the door only to be stopped by Sasuke. "Clean up the room." The boy huffed before dragging himself back across the room, leaving with a stack of pudding cups in hand. Once Suigetsu had turned the corner, Sasuke slowly made his way back into the room.

He often watched over the sleeping boy, which he only did while the rest of his team was asleep. If they found out how obsessively Sasuke had been watching over Naruto, his apparent familiarity with the boy would come into question and Sasuke didn't want that. If they found out he had a weak side….who knows what they'd do. Sasuke shuttered at the thought.

It was getting late, a quarter past eleven at night when Sasuke finally decided on calling it a night. The book he had been reading, or staring at for the past two hours, was shut loudly and was placed none too gently on the nightstand. The sudden noise had somehow jostled the blonde from his endless slumber and into a state of semi-consciousness. Sasuke watched tan hands twitch slightly before becoming still once more; he wasn't about to get his hopes up again like he had a few days ago. With heavy footsteps, he dejectedly made his way across the room. With his back turned facing the bed, he didn't notice Naruto's eyelids slowly pry themselves open.

Ocean blue eyes trailed around the room, looking for some hint to where he was. The room was clean and bare. There was nothing on the faded tan walls before him, only a door which he assumed led to a bathroom. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was being thrown against a wall and brutally stabbed with another needle full of god knows what.

There were flashes of the events that occurred after that. The guards had been yelling at someone and several loud bangs, then finally the door opening and four unfamiliar people staring down at him. No, wait. He knew one of them, but who was it? His eyes continued their journey around the room until they stopped dead at the silhouette walking to the door with his back turned away from him. There was something familiar about him. Naruto struggled to remember, but his mind was still too foggy.

It was something about the hair. That stupid duck ass shaped hair…he _knew_ that hair. He racked his brain for a name, or even just a face. It had been forever since he had been in the company of someone he wasn't deathly sickened by. Although he couldn't exactly remember this person's identity, he knew he could trust the man to some extent. More memories resurfaced as he racked his brain even harder. Glimpses of his time at the Academy and then getting put on a team…team seven played through his mind. That was it, the Uchiha boy, his rival, his teme.

"Sa…sasuke." His voice was hoarse from months of disuse and was too quiet to get the Uchiha's attention. Naruto coughed weakly before trying again, and this time Sasuke heard him, his pale hand still frozen on the door knob. The dark head of hair turned slowly to look back at the bed. Sasuke was half certain he was hearing things, but sure enough those blue eyes were finally open and staring straight at him. Hesitantly, he made his way back to the bed.

"You're finally awake." His voice was calm and sure, far from what he actually felt. His knees were about to give out from the amount of relief he felt. But he wasn't completely out of the woods yet. There was still one question burning through his mind: was Naruto still Naruto?

The blonde nodded slowly. It was quiet for a long time, but no one bothered to say a word, although billions of questions and thoughts ran through each of their minds. Finally the blonde opened his mouth to speak, "Where am I?" Naruto's voice was so weak, Sasuke almost missed the question.

"You're at my team's hideout. We rescued you."

"You rescued me? Why?"

"You could be of good use to my team." The black haired teen shrugged, gauging the other boy's expression carefully. The dim glimmer of light seemed to fade at those words, but he simply nodded understandingly.

"Does that bother you?" He coaxed the younger boy.

He shook his head, blonde locks swaying back and forth, a ghost of a smile on his face. "No, I don't mind." Sasuke almost fell over at Naruto's compliance. He had fully expected some long lecture about both of them returning to the village.

"What about the village?"

"I don't belong there anymore. I'm… dead to them." For the umpteenth time that day, Sasuke almost lost his composure.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke demanded.

"After I left the village, some village ANBU members found evidence that I died in battle and they stopped looking for me."

"Why would you leave? You love that stupid place." He frowned, clearly confused.

"I didn't want to, but I was a traitor in everyone's eyes. Even Sakura and Kakashi wouldn't look at me. I was going to be sentenced to death." His voice was dull and emotionless.

"What? Why? What did you do?" Sasuke hadn't realized how he involuntarily leaned closer to the blonde, and was now hanging on every word he said. Naruto loved Konoha, though he had no reason to and had vowed he'd protect the villagers once he became Hokage. What had changed? Surely Naruto wouldn't do this of his own free will, would he? He had practically preached and shoved his "ninja way" of loyalty down everyone's throats. Although…

Uzumaki Naruto had always been a bit mysterious when it came to his past and had the role of the happy fool down to a T. There had been very few times where he had actually seen beneath Naruto's mask, and was shocked to find the eternally happy blonde was suffering more than he let on. Had everything he said just lies he used to pacify everyone's worries?

Sasuke's inner musings were put on hold as Naruto his body closer to him; a bitter smile spread across the boy's thin face. There was a long pause before Naruto finally spoke.

"I was working with the Akatsuki."

**And behold, chapter three. So, it's only 500-ish words longer, but I'm still working on getting in to detail. On another note, Juugo spoke words - three to be exact. I don't think I have anything important to say so I'll leave it at that. Review? **


	4. Chapter 4

**I know, I know. My chapters are still short. But, I am working on it so bare with me here. Three days is not bad for an update after all. See? Compromise. **

**Disclaimer: I. Own. **_**Nothing.**_

"_I was working with the Akatsuki." _

Sasuke looked at the blonde skeleton in front of him, waiting for the boy to start laughing and tell him it was all a joke. But, as seconds passed by, Naruto said nothing.

"You were _what_?" He hissed, his hand inching its way to Naruto's throat. Blue eyes watched him warily for a few moments before repeating himself, only to be cut off by a hand clutching at his slender throat.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Naruto struggled to get words out, his eyes wide with fear. Sasuke hadn't hesitated when he tried to kill Naruto before, why would today be any different?

"Sasu…ke…plea…se" He choked out, his face turning purple from lack of oxygen. The strong hand let go and Naruto sputtered for a few seconds, touching his abused neck gingerly.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." The Uchiha's hand was resting on the handle of his sword.

"I did it for you." Naruto looked down at his fidgeting hands.

"For me?" He bit out.

"It had been so long since we last saw you. Kakashi sensei said we were getting less likely to bring you back. So, "He hesitated, "I went looking for Itachi on our last mission and asked him to make you give up getting revenge on you."

_Naruto sat up slowly, looking over his teammates before standing up. They were all sleeping soundly. Naruto made his way out of the room and down the darkened halls of the motel they had found earlier that evening. He tip-toed quietly down the old wooden stairs and walked out the front door. Cool air brushed his skin as he hurried down the empty streets of the desolate town. He'd be in big trouble if one of his teammates found his sleeping bag empty. _

_As Naruto jumped from rooftop to rooftop, he could just barely make out the edge of the forest. Although it was barely visible in the moonlight, he could make out several smoke plumes coming from deep within the forest. He chuckled to himself. Who would have thought the Akatsuki would be so easy to find? He hadn't told anyone that he knew the whereabouts of the hideout or that he had taken most of the previous night to find it. Kakashi would send him back to Konoha in a heartbeat, saying that he was being too careless for letting thoughts of finding Sasuke cloud his judgment. Grandma Tsunade would have lectured him for sure. And getting another lump on his head was something he didn't need at the moment. Man, could that lady pack a punch. _

_Naruto had finally made his way into the forest, bouncing from branch to branch. He carefully navigated himself through the forest, keeping a look out for any traps or wandering guards. It took a good twenty minutes before Naruto could actually see the hideout. It was rather large and well hidden. The entrance was shielded by several large oak trees. Naruto looked around. It would be stupid just to barge in and ask to leave a message for Itachi. He mentally scolded himself for not planning better. _

_Though it seemed luck was on his side that night. As Naruto edged closer, he noticed a small figure walk out of the main doors. He had long black hair that was tied in a similar fashion as Neji's. Itachi was making his way to the lake near the edge of the forest. He took him time, occasionally stopping to look around before continuing on his journey. Naruto had stayed undetected and was silently praising himself. The Uchiha clan isn't as clever as they claim to be. _

"_If you're going to follow me, at least do a better job of cloaking your presence." Itachi called out. Damn. _

_Naruto hopped down from the sturdy tree branch he had been perched on and faced the Akatsuki member._

"_Ah, the kyuubi boy. What brings you here?" He looked amused. _

"_I want you to convince Sasuke to give up on you and come back home." Naruto faltered. _

"_And why would I do that? I've waited years for my brother to find me and you're asking me to stop him?"_

"_Yes." Now that his request had been voiced, it did sound pretty stupid. _

"_Do you really think Sasuke would give up if I ask him to?"_

"_I-yes. You're his brother and you're bonds aren't completely broken yet. He…might listen to you." Or not. Sasuke was particularly pig-headed. _

"_Maybe he would. How far would you be willing to go to get my brother back?" Itachi actually sounded like he was considering his request. _

"_I'd do anything for him! He's my best friend." Naruto replied immediately, his heart aching at the thought of Sasuke returning home and everything going back to normal. Itachi smirked before speaking. "Consider it done." _

"_Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up. "You're not so evil after all." Itachi gave a quiet laugh at that statement._

"_I'll be seeing you, Naruto." Naruto nodded enthusiastically before taking his leave._

"_Sooner than you think." _

Sasuke watched Naruto's expression turn dark. At the time, it had seemed like a good idea – to go to the source of the problem and he'd get Sasuke back. He had been too desperate to really realize what he was getting into. He had been stupid to not see what was in front of him – he had been too busy daydreaming.

"I believed him." He said bitterly.

"You're even stupider than I thought." Naruto only nodded.

"What did he tell you?"

"He said he'd convince you to come home. I told him I'd do anything…and he took me up on that offer."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke could already tell he didn't like where this was going. He realized Naruto was naïve and believed in the good in people, but to trust Itachi was beyond what he thought Naruto was capable of.

Naruto sighed, "I had forgotten about my 'end of the deal' until I had received a message. I was supposed to steal some scroll from the village. They said it was just a test and the scroll wasn't important, so I agreed. It was really easy to steal and I checked that there was no valuable information in it; so I was planning to deliver it to them later that week. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time.

Then, someone found out it was missing. Grandma Tsunade was pissed and had about every ANBU member she could find look for clues. They traced the scroll's chakra back to my apartment and found the message I got from the Akatsuki. But I had already delivered it." Sasuke opened his mouth to say something but was cut off. "I didn't get in trouble, because Tsunade was sure I was set up." There was a tearful look in his eyes, but he continued.

"A few weeks after I handed over the scroll, the village was attacked while I was on a mission. It turns out the scroll I took was very important. There was a hidden message with the real contents of the scroll- blueprints of the village's sewage system…one of the tunnels led straight to the Hokage Tower. So, the council decided to search my apartment again. I rushed home but they had raided the place and found a couple scrolls that contained other tasks I had to do for the Akatsuki that had just arrived while I was gone.

I hadn't planned on helping them anymore. It didn't feel right. I tried to tell them what had happened, but everyone refused to listen to me. I was going to be sentenced to death… and no one trusted me anymore, so I ran away. It was what the Akatsuki wanted all along. They had wanted to get their hands on the kyuubi's power and I had walked into their trap."

Sasuke was quiet for a long time and he could tell Naruto was getting nervous. In a way, Sasuke was relieved. Of course, the little blonde idiot hadn't knowingly betrayed the village. He was just too naïve for his own good and gotten himself into trouble.

"If only I had known…" Naruto whispered after a while.

"Then what happened?"

"As soon as I left the village, I was attacked by Akatsuki members and taken as prisoner. After a few weeks they…fabricated, "He said the word slowly. It seemed being kept as prisoner had somehow improved his vocabulary. "a battle and my death. Then you found me." He summed up quickly, giving Sasuke a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What happened while you were prisoner?" Naruto visibly flinched.

"I don't remember."

"You don't?" The black haired boy raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Nope."

"You're lying."

"Am not."

"Naruto." He warned.

"I said I don't know, now would you drop it?" He snapped. Sasuke was slightly startled by Naruto's outburst. The boy had always been short tempered, but he had never snapped like that before. "We don't have to talk about it now." He paused. "You should get some rest, you're still recovering."

Naruto slowly dropped his head back onto the pillow and watched Sasuke calmly walk out of the room and shut the door. He thought about what had just happened and mentally slapped himself letting Sasuke upset him. The truth was he had some idea of what had happened down in that cold, dark basement, but he did his best to ignore the brief flashes of his past.

If he thought about it, he could still hear the echoing footsteps grow closer as cold fingers brushed his skin before yet another needle was used to sedate him while they used his body as a test subject. In the back of his mind, he questioned what else had happened while he was unconscious, but more than anything he just wanted to forget. How many days had he woken up and hoped it was just a nightmare, only to find himself still laying on the cold slab of concrete waiting to die? This time he had woken up in a warm bed and was being properly taken care of. But, he couldn't help but wonder if this was all a dream.

Sasuke plopped down on his bed and stared at the plain white ceiling. His mind was still processing all the information he had just learned and was wondering what to do next. Naruto's current state wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be. He had expected Naruto to have become some wild animal or even a vegetable. But no, the boy was still in his right mind. Of course, he couldn't ignore the empty, haunted look in Naruto's eyes or the way he'd hug himself as if he were about to fall apart at any moment, but he was still talking and even smiling, even if it was forced. He could still see a trace of the jinchuuriki's ever- exuberant personality, but it wasn't enough.

The truth was Naruto was broken, but not completely. It would take time and probably a lot of effort, but Sasuke was willing to give that to see Naruto smile genuinely again. His small friend had been through so much in the past few months, he was bound to have emotional scars. Sasuke just had to be there for him while they healed.

Sasuke had assumed he was well prepared to deal with the emotional trauma of his friend, but nothing had quite prepared him for what happened later that night.

He had been sleeping rather deeply until loud screams had woke him up. His hand quickly grabbed a hold of the handle of his sword and hurried to where the screams were emitting from, ready to take on any enemy.

Sasuke threw open the door to find Naruto's room completely empty, save for the thrashing blonde on the bed. His sword was placed carefully back in its sheath before he stepped closer to the bed. Naruto was thrashing around violently, slowly becoming entangled in the sheets. His screams became louder as the sheets encased his small body completely.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled, grabbing the boy's arms, trying to prevent the blonde from moving. He continued to call out, but Naruto remained unresponsive. The Uchiha eyed the glass of water on the table, before grabbing it and pouring it Naruto's face. His eyes flew open and darted around wildly. After a few moments, realization dawned on him. It was just a dream. No, it was a memory. He struggled to catch his breath, his lungs feeling tight. Tears blurred his vision. He couldn't help but wish Sasuke wasn't there at the moment to witness a breakdown.

"Naruto, are you ok?" Concern dripped from every word.

"It was so real." He whispered, tears started pouring down his face.

Sasuke was at a loss. Comforting someone was something he briefly remembered his mother doing when he was young.

_He had just watched Itachi jump effortlessly off the roof and land elegantly in front of him. Sasuke had got it in his mind he could do the same, only to land hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. The experience had been such a shock for him, he immediately broke down. _

"_Sasuke, what happened?" His mother's panicked voice called. Her slim hands flitted around his body, looking for an injury and finding none._

"_I'll never be like Itachi."He whined, tears streaming down his tiny face. Strong arms wrapped around him, bringing his face into the crook of his mom's neck. He could hear only her strong heartbeat and her soothing words._

"_Good. I love you just the way you are." _

Sasuke's arms awkwardly mirrored his mother's, pulling the shaking blonde into his chest. He continued to cry, until he felt he had no more tears. Naruto hadn't cried once since the Itachi incident, but now he cried for his friends, his village, all the torture he had been through and finally being able to find Sasuke. Every emotion overwhelmed him at once, surprising both himself and Sasuke. After a long while, his sobs subsided and turned into quiet hiccups.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked after a while. Seeing Naruto like that had scared him and he hoped never to see it again. He had looked so broken, Sasuke wasn't sure he was able to help him anymore. The idiot was ruining his resolve.

Naruto thought over the question. "I will be."

"I've never seen you like that." Sasuke hoped to keep the boy talking; wanting to really make sure he was ok.

"Sorry." He sounded embarrassed.

"Don't apologize, dobe." He held the blonde closer, not entirely sure if he was trying to comfort Naruto or himself. It was quiet, only the sound of breathing filled the room. Sasuke was now wondering Naruto fell asleep.

"Ne, Sasuke?" His usually flat voice held a tone of amusement.

"Hn."

"Sakura would be so jealous right now, wouldn't she?" Sasuke smirked, glancing at the younger boy in his arms. Maybe all hope wasn't lost.

"Shut up."

**And there she is –chapter four. I tried not to make Sasuke or Naruto too out of character in the last scene; I think I might have succeeded. I'm not planning on making this a yaoi, but if you want to take it that way – go for it! **

**As always read and review! It's much appreciated. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey *awkward*….so I know it's been over a month. But mid-terms are over and finals are fast approaching. Then, I'll have a whole month to dedicate to this story. I probably shouldn't have said that. You'll raise your expectations. **

**Anyway, let's continue this journey of fandom together, shall we? **

**Disclaimer: Japanese phrase of the day: Binbo desu. **_**Bean-boh des**_

**Translation: I am poor; which means I still own nothing. **

After Naruto had fallen asleep, Sasuke laid the sleeping boy back under the covers and tucked him in. His childish features were illuminated by the moonlight; it made him look young and innocent, and not like a teenage boy that had faced recent trauma. Sasuke stood over the bed, wondering if he should leave or not. He was almost ninety percent sure the boy would have another nightmare, but hell, he wasn't a babysitter. Naruto would be fine by himself, he wasn't that unstable. Was he? Sasuke bit his lip, an eternal debate raging deep inside his mind.

The Uchiha thought back to the night's previous events. Seeing the blonde so broken had stirred up some interesting emotions. Sasuke had never been one for affection; however he felt the need to be right beside Naruto, comforting him. Sasuke recalled a time when Itachi was constantly looking out for him, training, and praising him. He had loved every minute of it, but there were times where he couldn't help but want a younger sibling that would have to deal with all the babying, someone for him to take care of and look up to him.

He glanced down at the blonde mop of hair peeking out from under the blanket, thinking. Back at the Valley of the End, Naruto had stated some surprising things. _I've always admired you, Sasuke. You're good at everything you do and everyone likes you... I wanted to be just like you._ Yes, Naruto really was like a little brother to him, even though they were only three months apart.

Glancing up at the clock, it was almost 4:30 AM. Juugo had always been an early riser; which he assumed had to do with those obnoxious birds chirping early in the morning. The fleeting thought of Juugo trying to sing along with the birds passed through his head. Sasuke shook his head, sending black locks whipping around his face. His lack of sleep was making him delusional. Sasuke hurried off to bed before anyone noticed him standing over Naruto's bed like a stalker.

Naruto had slept most of the next week; only really waking up to eat the dinner Sasuke brought him or to glance at the clock before slipping back into unconsciousness. The nightmares were reoccurring, but he did his best to hide them. It was embarrassing enough having Sasuke witness his weakest moment, and he definitely didn't need to see it again. Nor did he want to meet the other team members under those circumstances. He hadn't seen any of the team yet, but he didn't mind. Meeting them made him nervous.

At the end of the week, Juugo had decided to check on the mysterious boy after bird watching, only to find him awake. Confused blue eyes met Juugo's red ones.

"You're finally awake." The blonde nodded mutely, looking anxious. "What's your name?"

"Naruto." The red head nodded briefly. "Juugo. I'll go tell Sasuke you're awake."

Naruto's eyes followed the large man. He reminded Naruto of one of the Akatsuki guards that was particularly rough with him. Naruto would have to make sure not to cross him. He seemed dangerous. Sasuke appeared a few seconds later, looking disheveled and irritated. Of course, it was only 6:30 in the morning.

"I thought you'd still be resting." He sounded annoyed. "Are you hungry?"

Naruto nodded.

"I'll be back."

"Can I go with you? I'm bored."

"Fine." The younger boy hopped out from under the blankets and hurried to Sasuke's side. The raven haired boy took note of Naruto's unsteady movements and kept a careful watch over him. Cerulean orbs darted in all directions, taking in the new scenery. After walking through several long, zigzagging hallways, Naruto found himself in a simple room with only a refrigerator and a small table in the corner, with a door to his left.

"Hey teme, do you have any ramen?" It had been months since he had his favorite noodles, and he could feel his heart swelling in excitement.

"No and I'd appreciate it if you don't address me so casually." Sasuke bit out, flinging the door open, revealing a large pantry that was well stocked.

"But, I've always called you teme." Naruto felt his heart drop, and it wasn't because the lack of ramen. Obsidian eyes darted to him with the same coldness the held at the Valley of the End.

"This is my team, I am your superior and you will treat me as such."

"But-"

"Did you forget who saved you?" Naruto looked frightened, shaking his head slightly.

"Good." After that Naruto said nothing more. Sasuke felt a bit guilty for being so mean to Naruto, but if the other team members saw the boy acting so defiantly around their leader, they may begin to act out too.

Naruto nibbled on his piece of toast, gauging Sasuke carefully. He had the newspaper splayed out on the table and a cup of tea in hand. He didn't look angry, so could Naruto talk to him? Or would he get scolded again? There were millions of questions on the tip of his tongue but he feared the answers, and Sasuke's reaction. Naruto's stomach churned uncomfortably. When Sasuke said he could be of use to the team, what did he mean? Was he just a tool? What would happen when Sasuke no longer needed him? He was afraid to find out. Before Naruto could build up the courage to open his mouth, a voice interrupted him.

"Hey, boss. I see the kid is alive and kicking. So, let's get something straight." A white haired man with sharp teeth walked over to the blonde and leaned on the table, hovering over Naruto's small frame.

"You even think about touching any of my food, I'll kill you." Violet eyes glared menacingly at him.

"Don't lay a hand on him, Suigetsu." Sasuke threatened. "He's of no use to me if he's dead."

"Oh, right. He's a jinchuuriki."

"Yes, and I need him in order to achieve my goal."

"So, where _are_ we going for information on your clan?" Suigetsu plopped down with a tube of yogurt in hand.

"I had planned to visit the surrounding villages of Konoha. Itachi had contacts everywhere. We'll leave later on."

"Don't tell me we're waiting on Karin. Bitch takes forever to do her hair."

"Go find Juugo and I'll get Karin."

With little argument, Karin hurried her morning routine and was standing by the front entrance in less than fifteen minutes.

"About time." Suigetsu grumbled.

Naruto silently watch Sasuke's team gather and prepare for the long journey. It was clear each of them obeyed Sasuke and was for some reason loyal to him. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. It was like Sasuke had replaced team seven. Did he care about them?

The team traveled on the desolate dirt road for a very short time before Naruto began to feel a bit dizzy. It had only been a week since he had woken up and Sasuke was expecting him to travel across the country. He didn't dare complain though. If he behaved well, perhaps Sasuke would consider keeping him on the team. It was probably safer than any other place he'd end up.

The sun was bearing down on his back, making him too hot and uncomfortable. None of the other members seemed perturbed by the heat. _I must still be weak. When was the last time I've seen sunshine anyway? _Naruto tried to keep himself busy with his thoughts for the rest of the long walk.

Sasuke hadn't been paying much attention; his focus was solely on his destination and what he might find. Thoughts of uncovering the truth overwhelmed him. It was a warm spring day, not too hot for travel. It was just past midday now. Judging by the position of the sun, they had been traveling for at least four hours. Suigetsu would probably start complaining about being thirsty soon. A large town was about two hours away. His team could wait until then. His eyes darted to his team members. Karin caught his gaze and gave him a shy smile to which Suigetsu gave an eye roll. Juugo was lost in his own thoughts, like he often was while Naruto was lagging behind. Blonde hair was sticking to his forehead and he was panting. The Uchiha sighed. He had been hoping the mission would give Naruto something to focus on. Instead, Naruto looked as if he was suffering worse than he was before.

"Sasuke, I'm getting thirsty." Suigetsu whined.

"Shut up, you moron, we're almost there." Karin snapped. Juugo merely rolled his eyes at his comrades' behavior.

"Can you wait a couple more hours?"

"I guess."

After two agonizing hours, they had finally made it to town. The town itself was loud and buzzing. Large, different colored buildings loomed overhead. Shops and stands of all sorts crowded the streets. Naruto's eyes scanned for any ramen stands. People shot him questioning glances. He then became aware of how he must look. While Sasuke's team looked relatively clean and healthy, he probably looked like the walking dead. He was in oversized cotton pants and matching shirt. His hair hung over his face, blocking his vision, causing him to bump into people. How did Sasuke put up with this? Knowing him, he probably super glued every strand into place.

"It looks as if we have a beggar following us."Karin mused, glancing at Naruto. The blonde certainly looked worse for wear.

"Very well. Go find out information about a man by the name of Tsubasa. We'll meet back at that inn by sundown." He pointed to the small building in front of them. When the team split up, Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm, dragging him to the closest clothing store.

He forced the kyuubi container into a white long sleeve top with a long black cardigan, tight fitting black pants, and black boots. Too help appease the irritated blonde, he made sure to buy the cardigan with orange trimming.

But, much to Naruto's dismay, Sasuke insisted on an over the shoulder/sash that held a long sword in back with small pockets in the front for shuriken and kunai. It had been nearly an hour since the teme forced him into the store. Was Sasuke playing dress up with him? But, Naruto remained silent through the ordeal, even when he was forced to cut his hair. He left it longer than his usual style, much to Sasuke's surprise. But somehow longer hair suit him.

Sasuke looked proud of himself and finally decided to treat the boy to a meal. He had noticed the boy had seemed a bit lifeless during their shopping adventure.

"You look horrible." Naruto only nodded, glancing everywhere around the booth, except where Sasuke was sitting.

"Are you ok?" The blonde was now leaning his head against the wood.

"I'm fine." Sasuke raised his eyebrows, but didn't question his friend further.

"Your team, how do you know them?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"I saved them from Orochimaru's hideouts."

"They're your friends?" He ran a thin finger along the edge of his glass, trying to act like it didn't hurt. Not once did Sasuke threaten or insult them like he had Naruto and Sakura. He had seen Sasuke give Karin a soft smile after she had whispered something to him. Sasuke _smiled. _Not one of those jaunting smirks, but a genuine smile. Naruto's throat constricted a bit.

Sasuke only shrugged.

"I see." He couldn't help but notice the slight bitterness in the other boy's tone, even though he was smiling.

"They'll warm up to you eventually, Naruto." Sasuke tried.

"I'm glad you _finally_ found people you can trust." Naruto snapped, his tone sharper than he intended.

Realization dawned on the brunette. Naruto was jealous.

"Naruto," He began carefully, waiting until he had the blonde's full attention. "I'm sorry -for everything that's happened the past few years. I intend to make it up to you, if you'll let me."

"What?" Naruto looked confused.

"Don't make me say it again." Sasuke took a sip of water, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt.

"You don't have to make it up to me. I already forgave you. I just…I just want my best friend back, te-" He cut himself off before he ruined the moment further.

"You can call me 'teme', just not in front of the team. Suigetsu will probably take it too far." Instead of boss, he'd probably be greeted with 'tight-ass' or 'bitch'.

A small smile formed on the blonde's tan face. "Are we going to look for Tsubasa?"

"We'll see if the team comes up with anything. You still look tired." Naruto nodded.

"I'm okay." It was obvious he was lying. The boy was still flushed and his lips were cracked from dehydration.

"We'll head to the inn after this. You should eat first." He looked at Naruto's barely touched vegetable stir fry.

"You know, I didn't really get to eat much while I was with the Akatsuki. They'd toss me bread or an apple sometimes, but…it wasn't much." Sasuke raised an eyebrow, surprised Naruto was actually talking about his experience.

"What else happened while you were there?" Sasuke asked cautiously.

"They used jutsus and drugs on me. Sometimes they beat me if I didn't do or say what they wanted. I don't really remember details. "

"I'm glad you're ok."

"I really thought I was going to die there. I had already been prisoner for so long and no one was looking for me." Sasuke remained quiet throughout Naruto's musings. There was a slight huskiness to Naruto's voice along with glossy eyes. The blonde remained composed and his eyes cleared after a moment, but the Uchiha couldn't help but feel the sharp pang in his chest.

"I think I'll be okay now. I missed training with you the most."

"Hn." Sasuke gave a small smirk. "We will. Once you get your strength back."

For the first time in a long time, Naruto looked genuinely happy about something.

"You really can't go back to Konoha?" The blonde's smile faltered_. _Sasuke mentally scolded himself.

"Maybe, if you wanted to share a prison cell."

"You didn't do anything wrong. Not on purpose."

"The villagers don't see it that way."

"Your friends should."  
"You do. That's all that matters now." Naruto said before shoving the fork in his mouth, ending the conversation.

After finishing their meals, the boys paid and left, not noticing the ANBU members sitting in the booth directly behind them, listening to the whole conversation.

**Looking back on my other chapters, I noticed some words missing and a couple grammatical errors. Did anyone notice? Does it bother anyone? It kills me. Regardless, I will be more thorough with my editing. As for Naruto's hair and outfit, there will be links if anyone's interested. I think I just turned Naruto into a Korean pop star…I'm sorry. **

**Review? Yes please. And wish me luck on my finals. And good luck to anyone else who has to take those horrendous things. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! So first of all, thank you to everyone who reviewed and those that wished me luck on finals. I passed the important ones. No academic probation for me! Someone had asked my classes? Japanese major! The other classes aren't important and were slowly sucking the soul out of me. **

**Disclaimer: I'm sure you get the point. I'll stop putting this up. **

In Konoha, the Hokage hunched over her desk, piles of paperwork littered the floor and were left neglected for the unfortunate assistant, Shizune, to do later while the Hokage drank to her heart's content.

She could tell it was starting to get late as the sun slowly hid behind the Hokage monument. Shizune should have been back twenty minutes with the reports of who entered and left the village that day. Her assistant and her faithful pig were always droning on about punctuality and being professional, so where the hell was she?

The past few months had been horrendous. Ever since Naruto left, everyone had been in sort of a slump. Even though it was clear the boy had betrayed the village, his presence was dearly missed, though no one would openly admit it. Life was too quiet without him. She remembered the day he was caught, his mouth wide open and struggling for words. The guilt was clear to everyone, and he didn't deny it either.  
_"I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to!" _He cried, anguish filling his voice. She had watched the surveillance tape of his interrogation repeatedly, to find some loophole for him to live. The only reason he was sentenced so harshly was because he was the jinchuuriki, otherwise he would have spent a long time in jail like anyone else would have.

As far as anyone knew, Naruto was servicing the Akatsuki. The reason, unknown, but she intended to find out. Earlier on in the month, she had sent ANBU members to infiltrate the Akatsuki's hideout, and were probably coming home soon. They were already a week late. She glanced at the clock again; it read 8:40 PM. The 'young' blonde slouched back in her seat with a sigh. Shizune had hidden her flask and she had nothing to do for the time being. Just then, Shizune entered the Hokage's office with two ANBU members in tow.

"M'lady, I apologize for my tardiness. Here are the reports." The short haired brunette bowed and allowed the two men to take the floor.

"Hokage-sama, I also apologize for arriving late, but we have some…interesting news." The taller one said.

"Go on."  
"When we arrived at the Akatsuki hideout-"

"-Before schedule." The smaller one chimed in.

"_Before schedule,"_ The tall one repeated, annoyed. "Someone had already broken in. Seven of the Akatsuki's bodies were found and accounted for, except for Deidara, Tobi, Itachi, and Naruto. When we were investigating the hideout, it was evident that the Akatsuki had been dead for at least a couple weeks. "

Tsunade felt her heart sink. The main goal for the mission was to bring Naruto back, considering she had been able to lighten his sentence to life in prison, and was hoping to get him a fair trial and only a couple years of prison and probation. Now, for all she new, he was still under the Akatsuki's control, or worse – dead.

"I see-"

"There's more." The smaller ANBU with the bird shaped mask piped up.

"While we were resting in a village, we came across Team Taka and Naruto was with them. We had been trailing them this past week for more information."

"Naruto is with Sasuke?"

"Yes, from what we've heard, Sasuke rescued Naruto from the Akatsuki."

"Rescued?"

"Yes, he said he was held captive. It seems he was kept as a prisoner when Team Taka found him…" He trailed off for a moment. "We've been recording their conversations. The videos are being processed and should arrive tomorrow morning." After their explanation, the ANBU members left, leaving Tsunade and Shizune to their thoughts.

"Shizune," Tsunade said suddenly. "I want you to summon the Rookie 9 and Team Gai for tomorrow morning."

"Y-yes m'lady."

The next morning, the Hokage's office was occupied by a very confused group of people.

"Why are we all being summoned here?" Sakura asked Ino quietly.

"Maybe she finally decided to give us a tough mission." Kiba smirked while Akamaru barked in agreement.

Tsunade was standing outside the door, while the video tapes were being rushed to her. She could feel an ANBU's chakra rushing towards her. She tapped her foot anxiously as the short bird ANBU took his precious time walking down the hall towards her.

"Here you are, Hokage-sama." He chirped, too happily for the blonde woman's liking.

"Thank you." She turned quickly on her heals and into the office.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I asked you here." There were quiet murmurs throughout the room.

"As of recently, two ANBU came back from a mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki hideout." The group instantly silenced, all eyes were on her, except Kakashi, whose eye was hidden by that stupid orange book he always had. But, she knew he was listening.

"Let me guess, the traitor was finally caught and put in prison?" Kiba asked.

"I assume you are referring to Naruto? No, he is not here. Most of the Akatsuki were found dead, however my retrieval team was able to locate Naruto, with Sasuke. I have video recordings of them, which I have decided we will all watch together." From what Tsunade was told, Naruto had looked the part of a prisoner. She wasn't sure of what to expect. "I haven't viewed the tape yet, so I warn you that Naruto's state might not be…pleasant."

The projector flashed on, showing a group of people in a cafe. The only recognizable person was Sasuke. Surrounding him were three people they had never seen before. They were all seemed extremely different, yet they seemed close. The white haired man argued with the pink haired woman about some battle they had before while Sasuke and the tall man beside him ignored the heated debate. A thin figure passed in front of the camera, balancing several trays of food. After handing out the trays, the figure sat down next to Sasuke. His appearance was shocking. This couldn't possibly be Naruto. The boy was so thin and sickly. He only had a small bowl of soup, water and a piece of bread and sat leaning away from everyone as if they were diseased, while picking off pieces of bread like a bird.

While the others conversed about their plans to locate a man by the name of Tsubasa, Naruto stared blankly at his bowl of soup, as if in a daze.

"Oi jinchuuriki, if you're not going to eat it, I will." The man with white hair said. As Naruto started pushing his bowl away, a pale hand stopped him.

"He'll eat it." Sasuke said, pushing the bowl back to Naruto.

"Aw, come on boss! He's just staring at it like a zombie. That's a waste of food."

"Shut it, Suigetsu."

"No one was talking to you, Karin." Suigetsu snapped. "So anyway, why do we feed him if he won't eat? He doesn't even talk."

"That's because you threatened him the first time you talked to him." The tall man said.

"Hey! He was about to get into my pudding stash." Suigetsu whined.

"He spent the past six months a starved prisoner, and you aren't willing to sacrifice a pudding cup? How selfish. Sasuke doesn't need a person like you on this team." Karin snapped.

"What Sasuke doesn't need is a fan girl that sucks up to him all the time."

"Shut up, the both of you, unless you want to pay for your own meal." Sasuke growled. Naruto offered a weak smile before pulling is bowl back.

"I'm going for seconds." Juugo stood up, with Suigetsu and Karin following. Naruto glanced up at Sasuke.

"When can I train?" Sasuke looked over to the timid boy.

"If you're feeling better, maybe we can start next week." Blue eyes lit up. "You don't have to be afraid of them. They won't do anything to you. Suigetsu just likes to hear his own voice. And Karin just likes hearing mine…" He grimaced.

"I know, I just…"He sighed.

"What the Akatsuki did to you won't happen again. They're all dead."

"I know." The blonde offered a weak smile.

That's when the video cut out.

"What happened to him?" Ino asked, appalled.

"He's so different." Choji agreed.

"After he left the village, he was taken as prisoner. From the reports, one of the prison cells was covered in Naruto's blood. They believe he was kept for experimental purposes. "Tsunade stated quietly. The boy she had just seen was so quiet and unsure of himself. Whatever happened to him had broken his spirit. She had expected him to be a little scratched up, but still the knuckleheaded brat she knew before.

She glanced at all the people in front of her. They didn't look as if they held a grudge anymore, but as if they all were to blame for this.

"Are we going to save him?" Sakura asked, tears in her eyes.

"As of right now – no. Sasuke seems to be taking good care of him."

"Do you really think he'd want to come back after the way we treated him?" Neji raised his eyebrows. Everyone's mood seemed to sink even further into depression.

"Besides, we have more pressing matters like locating the three living Akatsuki members." Tsunade said, trying to change the subject.

"Sasuke said the Akatsuki were all dead." Kiba said.

"Three of the bodies weren't accounted for. We have reason to believe they're still alive."

"Our dear Naruto has suffered so much. The flames of his youth have burned out." Lee whimpered. Gai was nodding enthusiastically with a teary expression. Kakashi watched his 'rival's' break down with a bored expression. Those two boys he had witnessed on the screen, he had failed them both. When he had heard of Naruto's betrayal, and how he admitted to helping the Akatsuki, he couldn't believe it. But, he had seen the evidence, Naruto's DNA was at the crime scene, he had heart his confession and how he seemed so apathetic to it, he instantly shunned him. Now he probably realized the emotion wasn't apathy, but Naruto accepting what he had done, and trying to be brave for everyone. Not that anyone had cared at the time. Everyone had been so quick to disregard him. He had even gone against his own motto, '_Those in the ninja world who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are lower than scum_.' He abandoned a friend, a student. And look what had happened. No, the boy wasn't dead, but it seemed unlikely he would ever be the same. He was determined to save his students, so he wouldn't lose yet another comrade again. Not only did he let down Sasuke and Naruto, but Sakura too. Her team was broken and he had been so quick to throw her to the next person that would take her. She was a good ninja because of it, but he still should have supported her.

Everyone in the room seemed unsure of what to say. They all looked deep in thought, and extremely troubled. It was relatively silent, the only sounds that could be heard was Akamaru's whimpering…and Gai and Lee's. She leaned back in her chair, unsure of the next step. Where would they start? The remaining Akatsuki could be anywhere. And as for Naruto, the person she was desperate to bring home, would have to wait. In the state he was in, she wasn't sure he could handle the interrogations, stressful trials, and the fact that he may spend life in prison. Tsunade had been reluctant to leave Naruto with the one person who had tried to end his life, but it seemed their relationship was more complicated than she thought. Sasuke had been protective of the younger boy and had his best interest in mind. Naruto seemed comfortable enough with him. It could be the break he needed. One day she would bring him- no both boys back, now just wasn't the time.

"M'lady, what are we going to do?" Sakura asked. She looked heartbroken.

"For now, we'll look for clues on the Akatsuki's location and try to figure out what they're up to."

"And Naruto? We can't just let him go."

"We'll bring him back, Sakura. But we need to make a solid case for him. Being back in Konoha might not be the best thing for him now. Give it time."

"But…" Her green eyes began to water.

"We'll continue to monitor him, alright?" The rosette nodded mutely. Ino put a slender arm around her friend. Losing her sensei had been hard enough, but Sakura had lost almost her whole team.

"Don't worry about Naruto, Sakura - he's strong. You should be more worried about that Karin girl hanging all over Sasuke-kun." Sakura gave a weak laugh.

Slowly everyone exited through the double doors with thoughts of how to make up for what they had done to their friend. They would definitely get him back. Someday.

**And there it is. What? Some of the Akatsuki aren't dead? Well, you see…they were dead (very dead) and I had planned to keep it that way. But while I was at school, my friend and I were talking about Naruto and she showed me the manga. The part where Sasuke and Itachi are fighting and Itachi's like *poke* **_**Sorry we didn't get to play. **_**And I ended up looking like that meme – you know the one with the big watery eyes? And I thought '**_**Itachi must live onnnn!' **_**And I just like Deidara. (Anyone else thing his ability was really pervy? Mouthes on his hands? Just me? Sigh.)**

**Anyway, please review! And happy holidays! (I posted this in case the world ends. Still waiting for them zombies…XD) **


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, would you look at that – the world didn't end. I guess I can't use that to appeal to authors who've abandoned their stories. There are about four stories I'm desperate to read. T_T Anyway, thank you for all the reviews! **

Sasuke stood at the edge of a field outside the small town they had journeyed to a couple days before. He was leaning gracefully against a tree, looking bored. Dark eyes were solely on the blonde on the other side of the field, who was currently doubled over. Kunai and shuriken were littered all over the dead grass, not a single one had reached the brunette. His clothes were spotless, not a scratch on the boy; while the same couldn't be said for the blonde. He was covered in dirt and panting heavily. Why was a battle using only taijutsu so hard? It had only taken a few minutes to lose his breath. Everything that used to be effortless wasn't.

"Do you want to stop?" Sasuke called.

"No, I'm okay." Naruto panted.

"Kid, don't overwork yourself." Karin called somewhere from the side. The rest of the team was watching, curious to see what the little blonde was capable of –which wasn't much.

"Let's take a break."

"Yeah, let me show you how to fight." Suigetsu smirked, getting up off of the rock he was perched on.

While Karin and Suigetsu battled each other, Sasuke and Naruto sat under a tree. Blue eyes were glazed over as he drank from his water bottle slowly.

"Are you okay?" Juugo asked. The blonde looked exhausted, but still wasn't willing to rest.

Naruto nodded. "Just a bit winded."

At first, the large red head had scared him. But after a couple of weeks of traveling with the man, he found Juugo to be a very calming presence. Karin seemed to be 'the mother hen' of the group. She kept Suigetsu in line while she looked out for Naruto. She was nice, perhaps a bit whiney, and was the crazier version of fan-girl Sakura. Naruto inwardly winced as the name passed through his thoughts.

"What?" Sasuke asked, noticing his friend suddenly twitch. Naruto grimaced. Sasuke noticed everything.

"You've finally found Tsubasa and you had a meeting with him yesterday. But, no one has told me anything." There was nothing more that Naruto hated than being kept in the dark. Something had shaken Sasuke, but he brushed off Naruto's questioning. The rest of the group knew, so why shouldn't he?

"It's not important, Naruto."

"But-"

"Enough." He hissed, shutting the boy up instantly. Sasuke's meeting with Tsubasa was less than pleasant.

_Sasuke had found a bartender that had known Tsubasa fairly well. He seemed to be a regular at the pub, a V.I.P. in fact. He waited calmly in the corner for the man's arrival. It was a quarter past ten when a burly man walked in. He had a nice, dark navy pinstriped suit on and was immediately surrounded by poorly dressed women. _

_The man calmly made his way to the back of the pub, passing through a dark curtain into another room. Sasuke stood up, and walked past the crowded tables to the V.I.P. section. His hand grabbed velvety cloth, and forcefully pulled it back. _

_Tsubasa was at the center of a round booth, surrounded by scantily dressed women and sleazy men. _

"_Tsubasa, we have a guest."_

"_Who's the runt?" _

"_What business do you have here?" _

"_Ah, you look just like him." Tsubasa smiled._

"_I'm here for information on Itachi." Sasuke growled and was forcefully pushed forward into the booth._

"_Can't give you that kind of information, boy. It would anger your brother."_

"_My brother is dead."_

"_I wouldn't be so sure." The man said, looking wildly amused. _

"_What the hell does that mean?" Sasuke snapped. Someone's hand grabbed him roughly by the hair._

"_Where's your respect, brat?" He could feel someone's breath on his neck. It smelled strongly of alcohol and tobacco. _

"_It means that Itachi wouldn't have died so easily by the likes of you. He and a couple of his friends still have some things to do."_

"_Like what?" _

"_Ridding the world of a few bad people." _

"_Like you?" The man sneered._

"_I'd watch it if I were you. You may have killed a majority of the Akatsuki, but there are still a few remaining." The man then made a shooing motion with his hand. Hands gripped Sasuke's arms tightly and dragged him out of the room. _

_As Sasuke walked numbly out of the bar, Tsubasa's words echoed through his mind._

_Itachi may still be alive._

The news had shaken him. He hadn't been able to look Naruto directly in the eyes after that. His captors were could still be alive. Sasuke had failed him in every way. The blonde had just been starting to return to normal, with the reassurance that the Akatsuki were dead. He couldn't take that away now. Whether or not Tsubasa was telling the truth, he was unsure. But, he couldn't chance it.

"Maybe you should just tell him. He'll find out eventually." Juugo whispered.

Sasuke sighed, "Not yet. I'll wait until we find out more."

It was silent for a moment before the group by the tree was brutally interrupted by a certain white haired boy being slammed into the ground right in front of them.

"Is that how you fight?" Naruto asked. He was getting braver around the swordsman.

"You – be quiet. I was only warming up."

"We've been at it for twenty minutes and you're _still _not warmed up?" Karin mocked.

"When you fight like a girl, I can't even call it training." Suigetsu huffed.

"I am a girl."

"Well…stop that! I'm taking a shower." He stormed off in the direction of the town.

"Moron."

"I'll go make sure he doesn't break anything." Juugo followed after.

"So…Sasuke, what are you doing this evening? Seeing as you found Tsubasa, we could all take a break. You know I have a room to my-"

"No." Sasuke looked startled. "Besides, I gave you research to do."

Karin sighed, watching Sasuke walk back into town with the jinchuuriki in tow.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's back as he power walked through several alleys and streets until they found the inn they were currently occupying. He had been really tense lately, and it made him nervous as well.  
"Did Tsubasa tell you something about your family you didn't like?" Naruto asked quietly, once he had entered through the threshold of their room.

"No, he didn't. That's what I'm having Karin look up next. I need _some_ lead… but I heard all of Itachi's spies were dead." He plopped down on the bed.

"You finally got your revenge" The jinchuuriki was treading on some dangerous water. ", so why keep torturing yourself?"

"Itachi said something- that day I attacked him –about my family being corrupt. He made it sound like there was a reason behind the massacre. My brother…he might not have been as crazy as I thought. I need to know what he meant."

"You actually believe him? What if he was just torturing you?"

"That's why I need to find answers, Naruto. What don't you understand?" Onyx eyes glared at him.

"Sorry." _Jeez. _

If Sasuke had been short tempered before, his fuse was even shorter after his little meeting with Tsubasa. The brunette had even yelled at Naruto for whispering too loud earlier that morning.

His mind wandered back to the day when he infiltrated the Akatsuki hideout. He had taken note of every guard and Akatsuki member's body. They were all there, lying bloodied on the floor. He had double checked every body when he walked out, too. Wait…

Sasuke sorted through his memories carefully. He had been walking down the corridor, trailing behind his teammates as he glanced side to side, checking for survivors. Karin's boot accidentally brushed one of the bodies, where three bodies had been – two guards and Tobi. Sasuke had been in a bit of a daze after finding Naruto, and quickly overlooked it. But looking back on it, there was blood smeared on the floor, as if the body had been dragged into place. If Sasuke had paid more attention, he would have noticed that there were three guards, instead of two. Tobi's body had been replaced.

It had been relatively dark, much darker than when they broke into the hideout. There were no windows to contribute to that factor and none of the wall sconces had died out. But, down that same hall was Itachi's room. He saw his brother collapse in front of him, a lifeless expression on his face as he slowly hit the floor. Suigetsu had come for him, and he had followed, but he had never turned off the light. And if his memory served him correctly, the hall was almost completely dark. Tobi…Itachi…who else?

After that his mind drew a blank. So, at least two members were alive. Sasuke sighed; it seemed anyone could be following them, not that Naruto noticed. After being held captive, the boy's senses seemed to have dulled even more. If he were more perceptive, he would have noticed the presence that always seemed to follow the team. Sasuke had first noticed it when he was walking through a darkened alley one evening after meeting Tsubasa. He couldn't help but feel someone was watching him from that day forward. If it had been his brother, Itachi would have attacked already. Itachi might have been more patient than Sasuke, but that wasn't saying much.

Tobi, perhaps? No, that man was too loud for his own good. The younger Uchiha had met Tobi briefly during a run in with his brother. He was a loud, babbling idiot. And clumsy too – but from what Sasuke had heard, he was a skilled fighter. He knew not to underestimate the man, but he didn't seem like the silent, stalking type. He pictured the mask man sneaking behind him in the alley, only to trip over an empty can. It definitely couldn't be Tobi.

Sasuke sighed loudly, catching the attention of another loud mouth.

"What's wrong?" Dark eyes snapped away from the window. Naruto was standing in front of him, in only a towel, beads of water trailing down his torso and disappearing into the soft fabric resting at his hips.

"You take too damn long in the shower." He lied.

"What? I was only in there ten minutes."

"You're skinny; it should only take you five." Naruto huffed, and then suddenly made a beeline for the bed where the Uchiha sat. He balanced one knee at the edge of the bed, hovering over the brunette, hands resting on muscular shoulders. Blue eyes analyzed the other boy carefully, before finally speaking.

"Are you PMS-ing?" Dark eyes turned into slits, before pushing the blonde off the bed.

"What did I do?" He whined.

"You have to ask?"

"Well, I'm not the one who's been acting all hormonal this week."

"Because you're annoying the hell out of me." It became extremely quiet. While Sasuke was waiting for a reply, Naruto silently made his way back to the bathroom, looking hurt.

"Wait, Naruto. I…I'm… sorry." Apologizing – not something an Uchiha did often.

"It's okay." The blonde gave a weak smile. "If you don't want me on the team anymore, just say so."

For Naruto, it seemed inevitable for Sasuke to grow tired of him. The village did, his friends did…Sasuke would too.

"Naruto, that's not…" Too late, the blonde wandered back into the bathroom, and didn't emerge until almost twenty minutes later. He shuffled quietly to the bed next to Sasuke, avoiding eye contact.

"Oi." No response.

"Dobe."

"…" Naruto finally turned to him, looking somewhat like a kicked puppy. Guilt gnawed at his heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Oh." The jinchuuriki seemed unsure, if not a little disappointed. Of course, Naruto wouldn't make it easy for him. Sasuke got up and stood over the younger boy.

"You're my best friend; of course I want you on the team." He gave a small smile, ruffling Naruto's soft blonde hair gently. The boy frowned, quickly forcing his damp hair back into place. Even though he seemed displeased, his eyes seemed brighter.

"I'm just tired, Naruto." Another frown marred Naruto's tan face.

"Is something wrong? You can tell me."

"I can handle it." He said dismissively.

"We're best friends, right?"

Sasuke ran a pale hand through his hair. "Yes, but-"

"But what? You've been stressed out lately." The blonde urged. He'd find out eventually…Sasuke hesitated.

"We're being followed."

**Writing a story is incredibly difficult with a dog sleeping on your wrist. Anyways, here's your late Christmas present (which I hope isn't worth returning). Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. According to my facebook, socks are trending this year. We're all ecstatic about it. Too nerdy? **

**Please review! Feedback is always nice. **

**This is completely irrelevant and unimportant *not worth reading*, but being on the site for an incredibly long time (back when Teen Titans was the ish), I've become incredibly picky and critical of fanfictions. Hence, my incredibly long list of pet peeves. I feel the need to see if I'm as crazy as I think, or maybe some of you agree. I'll post it one day – a Naruto fanfiction: What not to do – narrated by Uchiha Sasuke. Yeah, I can see that happening. **

**Press le review button. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, all. I know, I took my time with this chapter. I was trying to figure out where I was going with the story, along with reading every SasuxNaru fluff fic I could find, watching Coffee Prince (52 week drama challenge), not studying, etc. A total overachiever, I know. I wanted to get this chapter out before I go back to school. So here we are. **

Naruto's cerulean eyes widened to the size of plates.

"Followed by who?" Sasuke's dark orbs flickered to the window. He had just felt someone's presence and he wasn't sure whose. It was familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it. If it was an Akatsuki member, they were in trouble. Sasuke was strong, but he was certainly not enough to handle more than one. And Naruto would be no help at this time. His team members were down the hall, most likely. Karin would have been able to sense if someone was coming and alerted him immediately, unless, she had mistaken the person as another resident at the inn. No, even she wasn't that careless.

"I don't know. Be _quiet_." Sasuke edged closer to the window, making sure to stay out of plain sight. His sword was grasped tightly in his hands, waiting for someone to attack.

The dull red curtains were halfway shut, not allowing someone to see inside completely. It was dark now, and all that could be seen were silhouettes of bushes near the window. The brunette bit back a growl, what were they waiting for -an invitation?

Hastily, he pulled back the curtains, too anxious to care about precautions at the moment. He felt the presence slowly fading away. Sasuke knew he wouldn't be able to sleep well that night, knowing they could be in danger.

"Stay here."  
"But-" Naruto started protesting.

"You're still weak." The brunette said, earning a scowl from his comrade. Ignoring any further protests, he climbed out the window, only to feel Naruto's chakra presence somewhere behind him. _Idiot. _

"I thought I told you to stay?"

"You can't go alone! I can handle myself."

"Like you did during practice?" The blonde looked away.

After that comment, all the Uchiha could hear was the quiet thud of his feet hitting the rooftops, and Naruto muttering to himself. The mysterious chakra had slowed down and come to a halt somewhere in the middle of the village. Sasuke quickened his pace, leaving Naruto far behind.

The village was quiet; its citizens sleeping soundly, unaware of the danger lurking in the empty streets. Onyx eyes could trace the figure standing at the mouth of an alleyway, leaning casually against the brick building behind him. Sasuke stopped a few feet away, gauging his opponent carefully. After a moment, Sasuke decided the person wasn't going to make the first move, and gathered his courage and approached the man. In the moonlight, Sasuke began to notice the familiar features of the man and felt his heart drop.

"What do you want?" He asked, reaching for his sword. The man turned towards him, his expression was blank, if not a little nervous.

"I only want to talk, Sasuke." The man said; using his foot to push himself off the wall he was leaning on.

"About what?"

A dark gray eye gave him a knowing look. "We know Naruto is with you."

"You're not taking him, you've done enough already." This seemed to strike a chord within the taller man.

"I know Sasuke, we don't plan on bringing him back yet."

"Then why-"

"I just wanted to see that he was ok."

"Why? You all turned against him." Sasuke was about to lunge at the man, when a quiet voice behind him stopped him. "Kakashi sensei?"

Naruto stood wide eyed at the other end of the street. Even from a distance, Sasuke could see Naruto's hands shaking.

"Naruto." Kakashi moved towards the small blonde, only to be stopped by Sasuke's sword.

"I'm sorry." He said in a broken whisper.

"Naruto, don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong." The older boy snapped.

"He's right, Naruto. I should be the one to apologize. I haven't done my job as your teacher; I let you down." He hesitated. "I'm truly sorry."

Cautiously, Sasuke lowered his sword, allowing Kakashi to approach the blonde. He had never seen Kakashi show so much emotion, not even when he was planning to leave the hidden leaf village. He had been angry, and a bit desperate to get the message through to the avenger, but the man never looked this close to crying.

"But, I betrayed the village…"

"I don't think you were aware of how dangerous your actions were, Naruto."

"That's not the point-"

"No, no it's not. The point is, as your teacher I should have listened to you, but I turned my back on you."

The blonde sniffled. "Are you bringing me back to Konoha?"

"The Hokage thinks you're better off with Sasuke at the moment. Besides, we have more pressing matters at the moment."

"Like what?" Sasuke cut in.

"Are you aware some of the Akatsuki are still alive, including your brother?"

"What?" Naruto yelped. Sasuke glared at his former teacher.

"Yes, I am aware. I'm currently looking for more information."

"Teme, why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't need to worry about it." Sasuke glared at his former teacher.

"It's my life in danger!" Naruto snapped.

"I was taking care of it." Sasuke was beginning to lose his patience.

"But-"

"Shut it, dobe. What do you know?" He turned back to Kakashi, leaving the blonde gaping like a fish.

"We know that Itachi's, Tobi's, and Deidara's bodies were not found inside the hideout. That's all we have to go on."

"Great."

"We're willing to work with you –exchange information." Kakashi offered, taking his place back on the wall.

"Why would you do that?"

"To ensure the safety of our village, and Naruto, of course."

"Please do tell why you're so concerned about Naruto _now_?"

"A few weeks ago, after a few of our ANBU members spotted you two in a restaurant and recorded your conversation. We were made aware of the injustices towards Naruto."

"Who's 'we'?"

"The Konoha eleven."

"And why didn't you bother looking for him before?"

"Evidence was planted of Naruto's death; we had no reason to believe it was fabricated."

"I see. When we manage to take down the Akatsuki, what will happen to Naruto then?"

"When that should happen, Tsunade will inform the Council that Naruto was found alive and convince them to grant him a fair trial. Tsunade is hoping for a year on house arrest then a year of D-rank missions. But until we know his life is no longer in jeopardy, he'll stay with you."

The Uchiha nodded, digesting all the information that was given. He couldn't help but feel the small pang in his chest. Naruto belonged in Konoha; however leaving his best friend behind again was too painful. He still hadn't been able to make up for his sins towards the boy. When he burned a hole in the blonde's chest…seeing those bright blue eyes go dull as his face contorted with pain…his blood that covered Sasuke's hand…Naruto's small body sinking to the ground, lifeless… He didn't deserve that. And Sasuke had called the younger boy his best friend. Just the memory of that day made him feel sick. The fact that Naruto had forgiven him the moment it happened made him feel worse.

"What about teme?" Naruto asked suddenly, bringing the brunette out of his thoughts.

"What about Sasuke?" Kakashi frowned, looking confused.

"Once Itachi's dead, he can go home too right?"

"Well, that's a different matter entirely. Sasuke is an S-rank criminal, a rouge-nin that-"

"So am I. But, he's killed Orochimaru, and most of the Akatsuki!"

"I'm not going back, Naruto."

"What? Why not? Once you get your revenge, you'll have no reason not to."

"I don't belong there. Besides, I rather not die in prison."

"Sasuke…" Naruto whined, looking like a kicked puppy.

"It's true that you're a criminal, but you have also eliminated many of Konoha's greatest threats. If you wish to come back, I will try to work something out with the Hokage."

"Why would you help me?"

"I owe that much." The avenger looked startled by the man's words. He stepped forward, putting a hand on each of the boy's shoulder's. "Because you're still my cute little genin. I gave up on the both of you. I won't do that again."

Kakashi looked at each of the boys. A frown marred Sasuke's face, as if he was unsure of something. Black eyes gazed at him, looking for confirmation that the words he spoke were true. He may have been a criminal, but he was still a child. Sixteen was the age where many made mistakes and grew from them. Before, the Copy Cat Ninja was sure Sasuke was a lost cause. He had been hell bent on revenge from the day he first met him. Yet, the boy had proven to be trust-worthy. Not once during battle had the boy abandoned a comrade. He had stayed and fought Zabuza, even if had been fresh from the academy. Sasuke would not leave his teacher behind. He had also taken the blow for Naruto, nearly losing his life in the process.

Kakashi thought back to the battle in the valley of the end. He had assumed Sasuke was too weak to finish off Naruto, but perhaps the boy didn't have the heart to. And here Sasuke stood, taking care of his younger teammate. There still might be hope for him after all.

Then there was Naruto, blue eyes glossy and hopeful. At first, Kakashi had no hope for the loud mouthed prankster that Iruka constantly complained about. His chakra control was horrible and the boy still hadn't learned some of the basics from the academy. He was reckless, going into battle with no plan, only the goal in sight. He was sure to be the death of them. Kakashi hadn't understood what kept the boy so motivated or why he was always smiling. His ever cheerful nature had been a bit too much for Kakashi, which made him keep his distance and sometimes neglect his training. When Kakashi was in a bad mood, having visited the memorial of his fallen teammates before training, he just couldn't handle the hyperactive twelve year old.

But one day after a mission, Kakashi spotted his student being roughly thrown out of a market.

"_Don't you dare enter this store again, demon. You want the pot? Take it. No one will want to buy it after you've touched it."_

_A small, dark blue flower pot was tossed, hitting the blonde square on the head, leaving broken pieces of clay scattered all over the gravel. The blonde simply stood up, blood trailing down his smiling face, and said. "Sorry, it won't happen again." Naruto's unfazed attitude had only aggravated and confused the shop owner further. _

_Kakashi had followed the boy home, taking note of how the boy lived at the most dirty, dangerous, poor part of the village. He had noticed the cut on Naruto's forehead stop bleeding and slowly closed up on the way home. The blonde had marched up to his front door, and paused. Kakashi thought the boy had perhaps sensed him, but instead the boy gingerly laid his head on the door, fists balled. The smile he always wore slipped instantly from his face, tears gathering in his eyes. _

"_Don't give them what they want, Naruto." He whispered, before suddenly lifting his head off the wood, a small smile on his face, tears still left unshed. It was suddenly clear. The boy smiled because he wouldn't let the villagers win. And he would never allow anyone to see his pain. Naruto suffered more than anyone knew, and he planned to keep it that way. Kakashi could no longer ignore the boy then. After that day, he had started counting on Naruto's smile. If Kakashi wasn't able to smile, because of the memories of loss always haunting him, Naruto would smile for him. Someone had to. _

After taking the time to train the blonde, Kakashi realized quite how talented Naruto was. Naruto's lack of skills was because he had too much damn chakra. When everyone else his age could produce a normal clone, Naruto could produce forty shadow clones. His unnaturally high chakra reserves prevented him from doing simple tasks, and Kakashi hadn't been able to see that before. Naruto wasn't someone he would underestimate again.

After a moment, Kakashi pulled back, two pairs of eyes watching him expectantly.

"Well, I suppose it's time for me to go. We'll be in touch."

"Sensei!" The smaller boy came towards him hesitantly, before wrapping his thin arms around his waist. "Thank you." He mumbled into the man's shoulder. Kakashi awkwardly patted the boy's head.

"If you find out information-"

"Mah, so eager, Sasuke." The brunette glowered.

"You'll be the first to know." He nodded, seemingly pleased.

"Come on, Naruto." He pulled the blonde towards him before he managed to cut off Kakashi's oxygen supply. The man simply gave a small wave and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The blonde wore a small smile all the way back to the inn.

"Ne, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Everything's gonna work out, isn't it?"

"Yeah," was Sasuke's short reply.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, dobe." Cerulean orbs analyzed him. Suddenly the younger boy broke out in another smile.

"Are you worried I'll leave?"

"What?" Sasuke snapped, feeling the heat rise on his neck. Was it that obvious?

"Don't worry teme. I'm not going anywhere without you!" He grinned.

"As if I care."

"Why are you moping then? I won't leave you." Naruto assured him, reaching for the door handle of the inn.

"Hn."

"Someone has to keep you in check." Naruto mumbled.

"What. Was. That?" Sasuke growled, reaching for the blonde's neck. Though he'd never admit it, Naruto's words had helped ease his mind.

But not for long…

**A very sappy chapter indeed... It's the after affects of the fluff I've been reading. Don't worry, there will be some action soon. Just not the kind you perverts are hoping for. So, what do you guys think/want to happen? I want to hear your thoughts. Oh, I'm curious, yeah. (If you get the reference, you're my automatic best friend.) **

**Review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**It's been quite a while since I've last updated. Blame school. Hope all is going well for you all, and with that, let's continue. **

Kakashi jumped effortlessly to the window of the Hokage's office. He had taken his time going home, hoping to prolong the scolding he'd be receiving from the busty blonde. Any contact from Naruto and Sasuke had been forbidden, but seeing as Sasuke had sensed his presence, a confrontation was inevitable. (The lie Kakashi told himself, although he could've made himself completely undetectable if he had wanted to)

With a sigh, he pushed the window, and with a smile and a raised hand, "Yo."

"Hakate Kakashi, you were expected back yesterday at the latest." Hazel eyes bore holes through his skull.

"Well, I somehow got a bit caught up by-"

"By your ex-students?" The man only shrugged.

"Did you have any contact with them?"

He could have lied, but she would've found eventually and punished him with the worst missions she could find. "I chatted with them briefly."

"You were told not to. I gave you permission to tail them on the condition that you do not talk to either one of them." She growled.

"But what harm could it do?" Before the woman could argue further, he cut in. "Besides, by keeping in contact with Sasuke, we have an outside source giving us information about the Akatsuki."

"Can we really trust him?"

"He's not a bad kid, Tsunade-sama."

"His previous actions prove otherwise."

"He may have made mistakes in the past, but I trust he will not betray us again. He's not Orochimaru."

"Very well, I'll put my trust into him for now. But, if he even takes one step in the wrong direction-"

"I understand."

"So, what did you learn?"

"Sasuke has located one of Itachi's henchmen and is currently looking for their location and their motives. He had also heard about some hidden motive behind the Uchiha massacre."

"Hidden motive? From what I've heard, Itachi had just gone mad for power and slaughtered everyone."

"Yes, but I think there was something more behind it as well. I was a comrade of Itachi's for a brief time. He was quiet and serious but there were no red flags."

"There was a rumor going around the clans that the Uchihas' were planning a coup. As soon as the rumor started to spread, someone instantly ended it. I never thought much of it before. The massacre is long over, there was need to dwell on it any longer."

"When Naruto and Sasuke return to the village-"

"Sasuke- return to the village? Why should I allow him back?"

"He's gotten rid of Konoha's greatest threats and if he's willing, why shouldn't he come back?"

"He could turn on us at any moment!" The Hokage pushed herself out of her seat, eyes blazing.

"His betrayal won't go without consequence, but he deserves to come back home. After what Konoha's put him through…"

"What has Konoha ever done to him? The village has been nothing but kind to him, offered him a place to stay and grow up."

"Kindness? After the massacre, no one dared approach him. They admired him for being the last survivor, but they also avoided him in fear he'd be the next one to snap. No one bothered to make sure he was ok after seeing the slaughter of his family. They allowed him to stay in the very house where his parents died. All this time, he's still being haunted by the ghosts of his past. The least we can do is give him closure and a place to live." Kakashi huffed. The woman before him stared at him for a moment before sitting back down.

"I see. Once the current problem is taken care of, I'll take his homecoming into consideration. If he proves himself loyal in these next few months, I'll do what I can for him."

"Thank you." After a moment, Kakashi bowed and quietly exited the room, leaving the Hokage to her thoughts.

Hesitantly, she walked out of the office and down the winding hallways until she came upon a door with a plaque above it with the words, _Konoha Archives. _The Hokage went to the back of the room and stood in front of a wall of filing cabinets. Picking one, she opened the old filing cabinet, fingering through the files until her index finger came to rest on a particularly thick folder labeled, _Uchiha Massacre. _

Once back in her office, Tsunade plopped down on the chair with the file in hand.

"You better be worth it, Uchiha." She murmured, before she began leafing through all the paper work.

Her nose wrinkled at the graphic photos taken inside the Uchiha compound the morning after the massacre. Bodies by the dozen lay all over the streets; fruit stands overthrown, posters slashed down from the fences and windows. _Got a bit knife happy, didn't you Itachi? Even had to slaughter the fruit stands…_

As Kakashi had stated before, there had been nothing unusual about Uchiha Itachi. He was given a mental examination before going into the ANBU. Everything checked out to be normal. So what caused him to snap?

A journal had been taken from his room for evidence. It was a small leather book with gold lining each page. He wrote about general things, missions and his family life. He often talked about Sasuke. His love for his brother was evident in each entry.

She read the entries dated a few weeks before he murdered his clan. She noted that a large numbers of pages were missing, as if someone had ripped them out. Itachi had proven to be a consistent writer, taking the time to write at least every other day. The weeks prior to the massacre had only one entry per week, if even. Slivers of paper were still sticking out of the binding, proof pages had been ripped out. That was odd. Was it Itachi's doing? Flipping back to the first page, she noticed the pocket on the back of the cover page. Using her small finger, she felt around inside, feeling the sharp edges of a piece of paper inside. Pulling it out and unfolding it, Tsunade noticed it was dated as the day right before the massacre.

_April 24, 7 AK (After Kyuubi)_

_This morning, my team was assigned a mission in the Land Of Waves. It shouldn't be too difficult for the others; only guiding a merchant of precious stones back to his village. When news of my latest mission made itself known to my family, Sasuke proceeded to throw another fit. He's been quite temperamental these past few weeks. _

_Perhaps it's because I haven't spent as much time with him lately. I'm constantly breaking my promises of helping him with shuriken practice. He's also stated I've been 'a meanie' when I tell him I've prior engagements. Even though he's only seven, I believe he's noticed the changes in my behavior. It's for the best that I distance myself from him now. What I'm about to do will only hurt him. If he grows to hate me, he won't be in so much pain. _

_If only there was another way out of this situation, then my brother can live happily, as he does now. I'd love to be able to watch him grow up, but I know it's impossible. I can only hope that he stays the same loving, clumsy kid he is now. Even though I'm struggling, he still manages to find a way to make me smile. _

_The previous morning, Sasuke somehow managed to trip over the living room rug and into the threshold. As soon as he noted my presence, he tried his best to make his fall seem like stealth practice. Even with tears in his eyes and a scraped elbow, he wanted to impress me. _

_I only hope he can forgive me for what I'm about to do. _

_If you do manage to find this,_

_I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I wish I had another choice. Despite what will happen, I love you. _

_-Itachi_

Tsunade stared at the entry for a long time; Itachi's final journal entry resting on her desk in front of her. It was clear Itachi was being forced to murder, but by whom?

Tsunade was still in a daze as Shizune walked in. "Why is it so dark in here? Are you hungover again? M'lady?" Shizune turned on the lights, spotting the blonde slumped over in her chair, her mind clearly elsewhere.

"Shizune." She said finally. "Take this to analysis; tell them to look for any finger prints."

The brunette took it carefully and bowed out of the room.

_~ Classy Linebreak~_

Naruto sat on the opposite side of the bed, bouncing up and down while Sasuke looked over a map of a small region of the fire country.

"Would you stop?" The Uchiha snapped.

"Stop what?" Blue eyes blinked owlishly at him.

"Bouncing around. I'm trying to concentrate."

"You've been looking at that map for almost an hour. Can't we go train?"

"We can't, idiot. It's raining. Besides, I need to find the Akatsuki's new hideout before Konoha."

"Why? We're working with them, aren't we?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'll allow them to get in the way of my revenge. It's _my _job to finish the Akatsuki off."

"Why does it always have to be about revenge with you?" Naruto muttered.

"What?" Sasuke glared, daring the boy to repeat himself.

"You always want to off somebody for doing you wrong. Revenge…it doesn't solve anything."

"Itachi slaughtered my whole family in front of me. And don't forget what the Akatsuki did to you."

"I know that. But, you're only hurting yourself. I understand how much it must have hurt you to lose your family-"

"You understand? How could you possibly understand?" The brunette asked, seething.

"Our first real mission, when Haku threw all those needles at you…I thought you were dead. I was ready to kill him; I even had the knife at his throat. At that moment, I thought one of the few people I considered family was gone. I almost lost you."

"You…were going to kill him? For me?" Sasuke's mouth felt dry. He hadn't been told what had happened on the bridge after he passed out. He never bothered to ask, either.

"I almost did, but he jumped in front of Zabuza. While you were resting, I thought a lot about what happened. I was so angry at Haku. It was my job to kill him for hurting you. But all that anger was only hurting me. If you had really died, and I killed Haku I knew I wouldn't feel better. Killing him wouldn't bring you back. Sasuke, you're only hurting yourself.

I do understand wanting revenge and I would have supported you when you left the village. But, you were going about it all wrong! You were too damn anxious to get powerful that you nearly lost yourself. If you had stayed in the village and worked hard, you would've gotten strong on your own. But, you depended on someone else to give you power. I almost lost you once, teme, I don't want to lose you again."

Sasuke was quiet after Naruto's rant. Every fiber of his being wanted to argue and tell Naruto he didn't know what he was talking about. The blonde had always been a bit slower than everyone else, but why now of all times had he chosen to get smart? That boy had successfully ruined every good argument he had on getting revenge.

Cerulean eyes watched him warily, waiting for the backlash.

"Naruto…" He began. "People like these shouldn't be allowed to live. I have to kill them." His voice sounded distorted, if not defeated.

"I know. Just, don't lose your mind about getting revenge again. You let it consume you, Sasuke. You don't think straight. That's all I'm saying."

At first, it felt as if the blonde was attacking him and scolding him for all his stupid mistakes. Sasuke knew he had been careless, on too many occasions. It was true, he had been so determined to kill his brother, and he went to any means possible to get what he wanted. He had hurt countless people and had too many brushes with death. If he had not been strong enough, Orochimaru would already have used him for is new body.

He turned to the younger boy. Blonde hair hung over his eyes, something he only did when he was upset. Naruto was chewing on his bottom lip nervously, as if had overstepped his boundaries and was about to be punished. When Sasuke tried so desperately to push everyone out of his life, the little blonde idiot wriggled his way into the avenger's heart. Naruto truly was his best friend. When no one else was looking out for him, Naruto always kept him in line, made sure he never let the silence bother him for too long, and most of all let Sasuke know he'd never have to be lonely again.

"I see." The brunette cleared the lump in his throat. "I guess…you'll just have to keep me in my place, right?"

A gentle smile formed on the blonde's face. "Of course."

_Who was acting like the older brother now, _Sasuke wondered.

**Bromances for the win. So, I'll work harder on getting the next chapter out sooner. Please review, those will be all I have to keep me company on Valentine's Day, guys. Seriously, just review. **


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